In today's episode I speak with Dr. Mary Braud, a Colorado based Psychiatrist and Functional Medicine Practitioner. Dr. Braud details for us the differences between conventional medicine and a functional approach, why she shifted her practice to a more functional model, and the limitations of the standard model of care we still have today. She introduces us to the term "orthomolecular medicine", her experience with it and how it shifted the way she practices. We discuss nutrient therapy and its implications in treating psychiatric disorders like anxiety, depression and more. We discuss the labs that she uses in her practice and how they can help identify imbalances in the body that may be leading to symptoms. We discuss specific nutrients and their potential impact on mental health, why metabolism matters and the role that bioindividuality plays in our health. Dr Braud gives her perspective on whether or not nutrient deficiencies are as rare as we've been told, and how using functional labs and prescribed nutrients can lead to a reduction and possibly even total elimination of certain psychiatric medications. We also get into the highly controversial topic of Keto, Keto for recovery and Keto for mental health. This was a great discussion that really highlights the benefits of using a functional medicine approach in psychiatry and how critically important nutrition is in mental health.
In her practice Dr. Braud sees patients of all ages, who may be dealing with a wide range of psychiatric conditions. She can be reached through her website here: https://denverfunctionalmedicine.com. You can also inquire there about her Saturday morning donation based Groove dance group.
